The Estonian writer-director Martti Helde, who made his mark on the stage of the World Festival with his first exhausted element “In the Crosswind” and the second year student “Scandinavian Silence” (a Europa cinema label in Karlovy Vary 2019) is perhaps his most ambitious project).
The project, which marks Helde’s third collaboration with producer Elina Litvinova de Three Brothers, based in Tallinn, will be presented to the Nordic co -production market in New Nordic Films in Haugesund, August 20.
Famous for her experimental style combining formalist approaches with traditional account, Helde’s new feature will live again with the concept of time, although it is “wider” than its previous works, he said.
Logly based on the book “Hõbevalge” of the legendary Estonian writer-director and former president of the Baltic Lennart Meri nation, history dates back to around 7,500 years. At the time, traces of the Kaalo meteorite which struck the Estonian island of Saarema, left a deep mark on the peoples living along the Baltic Sea, shaping local myths and legends, according to the synopsis. Through four non-linear but interconnected finnoic scenarios, the film will explore the universal themes of identity and resilience.
“I am fascinated by the thousands of years of history shared by the peoples living along the banks of the Baltic Sea,” said Helde Variety. “In this region, we often tend to define ourselves as culturally young, but I believe that our collective memory comes much further, in moments that are not always fully recognized, but which continue to shape who we are.”
Although Epic in scale, “Silverwhite” will be “a personal and intimate reflection on a vision of the world shaped by the Baltic Sea and its surrounding cultures”, insisted Helde, who was inspired by his conversations which he had with Mart Meri, son of Lennart Meri.
Martti Helde
Credit: Renee of others
According to Litvinova who quotes “Macbeth” by Justin Dallas Kurzel and the “Son of Saul” of László Nemes as references, the photo will be focused on the characters, with costumes and even camera movements to form an integral part of the narration.
Until now, co -production partners have confirmed that Air Productions in Latvia, credited for the Latvia Oscar candidate “to continue” by Ivars Seleckis “, and the endland interior film company which has teamed up with Three Brothers on the Swedish Drama” The Swedish Torpedo “.
Budgeting at just under 2 million euros ($ 2.3 million), the high project received the support of the Estonian Cinema Institute, the cultural allocation of Estonia, the EU Creative Europe media mini-salative, the Viru regional film fund and the ERR national diffuser. The shooting should start in September, with a delivery set for 2027.
A former moving producer in Cannes, Litvinova, said that she hoped to sign with a fourth co -production partner and are looking for sales and a distribution in Haugesund. In the meantime, she collaborates with other European partners on the Polish photo “Black Water” produced by Lava Films (“The Girl with the Needle”) and supervising the first document of Maris Séries “War On Women”, supported by Arte and Eurrimages.
“Silverwhite” is one of the six Baltic projects participating in the Baltic Focus of the new Nordic films in Haugesund, Unpolling from August 19 to 22 parallel to the Norwegian International Film Festival.
